Treatment of sexual dysfunction

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of normalizing sexual response in a subject, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an anti-hypertensive therapy and a centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist. The subject may be a human male or female. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-hypertensive therapy is an ACE inhibitor such as enalapril, and the centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist is apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of normalizing sexual response in a subject, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an anti-hypertensive therapy and a centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist, such that sexual response is normalized.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human male.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human female.  
     
     
         4 . A method of ameliorating female sexual dysfunction in a subject comprising administering to a female subject in need thereof an anti-hypertensive therapy and a centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist, such that female sexual dysfunction is ameliorated.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the female sexual dysfunction is female sexual arousal disorder.  
     
     
         6 . A method of ameliorating male sexual dysfunction in a subject comprising administering to a male subject in need thereof an anti-hypertensive therapy and a centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist, such that male sexual dysfunction is ameliorated.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the male sexual dysfunction is penile erectile dysfunction.  
     
     
         8 . A method of enhancing the efficacy of a centrally-acting dopaminergic receptor agonist in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an anti-hypertensive therapy and centrally-acting dopaminergic receptor agonist.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said anti-hypertensive therapy comprises administration of an ACE inhibitor over a period of time ranging between about five days to about 21 days at a dose ranging between about 1 mg to about 300 mg per kg of body weight per day.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said ACE inhibitor is enalapril, and said enalapril is administered at a dose of about 30 mg per kg of body weight per day.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said dopaminergic receptor agonist is apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, administered on an as-needed basis.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said apomorphine is administered in an amount between about 25 μg/kg of body weight and about 80 μg/kg of body weight.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plasma concentration of apomorphine is maintained at a level no more than about 5.5 ng/ml.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said apomorphine is administered via a route selected from subcutaneous, intramuscular, transdermal, sublingual, buccal, intranasal, vaginal, and rectal.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-hypertensive therapy and the centrally-acting dopaminergic agonist are administered at the same time.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the anti-hypertensive therapy and the centrally-acting dopaminergic antagonist are administered together as a single dosage unit.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the anti-hypertensive therapy is an ACE inhibitor and the centrally-acting dopaminergic antagonist is apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a single dosage unit of an anti-hypertensive therapy and a centrally-acting dopaminergic antagonist together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier therefore.  
     
     
         19 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 19 , wherein the anti-hypertensive therapy is selected from the group consisting of ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, α 1 -adrenergic receptor antagonists, β-adrenergic receptor antagonists, and endothelin receptor antagonists, and the centrally-acting dopaminergic antagonist is apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the anti-hypertensive therapy is an ACE inhibitor.